Can-end lining and marking machine



W. H. STABLER AND E. E. CALDWELL.

CAN END LINING AND MARKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 24. l9l6.

Patented Oct. 14, 1919.

w jwwmu c5 umz W. H. STABLER AND E. E. CALDWELL.

CAN END LINING AND MARKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 24.1916.

Patented Oct. 14, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET Z- q Vibncoo W. H. STABLER AND E. E. CALDWELL.

CAN END LINING AND MARKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 24.19I6.

Patented Oct. 14, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Q 5W Z5 I avwemlow' WILLIAJYL H. STABLEB. AND EMMET E. CALDWELL, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIG-NOBS TO AMERICAN CAN COMPANY, A. CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, WILLIAM H. STABLER and EMMET E. CALDWELL, citizens of the United States, residing at the city of Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Can-End Lining and Marking Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The hereinafter described invention relates to an organized apparatus for stamping or embossing or otherwise marking sanitary can ends with a sign, word or symbol by which cans. sealed with such ends may be easily identified or recognized.

In the past it has been the practice of the manufacturer to so mark can ends andapply the ring liners in separate machines.

The resent invention comprises a machine W iich marks the can ends preferablysubstantially simultaneously with the application of the ring liners to the same, thus dispensing with the additional labor, time and expense involved in operating two separate and distinct machines.

The combination of mechanism which is the subject of this invention does or may preferably comprise such devices for cutting and applying ring liners to can ends as are shown and described in Patent No. 1,162,234 granted to Gray Nov. 30, 1915; said patent may be referred to for an understanding of the actuating mechanism which is omitted from the following illustration and description.

With such object in view, as-well as other advantages which may be incident to the use of the improvements, the invention consists in the parts and combinations thereof hereinafter set forth and claimed, with the understanding that the several necessary elements constituting the same may be Varied in proportions and arrangementwithout departing from the nature and scope of the invention.

In order to make the invention more clearly understood there are shown in the accompanying drawings means for carrying the same into practical efi'ect, without limiting the improvements, in their useful applications, to the particular constructions which, for the purpose of explanation, have been made the subject of illustration. In

the said drawings Fi ure 1 isja plan view of the machlne part y in section.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 141, 1919.

Application filed July 24, 1916. Serial No. 110,887.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on a larger scale on line IIII of Fig. 1, with the dies separated.

Fig. 3 is a similar view with the dies brought together.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section substantially on line IV-IV of Fig. ,1.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are detail vertical sections on a larger scale illustrating the means for applying the ringliners.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates any suitable form of a supporting frame capable of sustaining theworking parts of the apparatus, and within which frame is secured a stationary supporting table or disk .2. Through abearing?) depending from said disk extends a vertically disposed driven shaft 4. To the upper end of this vertical shaft is keyed or otherwise secured a horizontally disposed turret or carrier member 5, which is held a slight distance above the stationary table member 2. An intermittent or. step rotation is imported to the centrally disposed shaft 4 and the horizontally disposed turret or carrier member 5 by any suitably driven mechanism preferably by means such as that shown in said Patent No. 1,162,234.

From the sides of themachine frame and in substantial alinement with the upper face of the stationary table 2 and the upper face of the turret or carrier 5 respectively, project brackets9 and 10, which support respectively a holder 11 adapted to hold a stack of can ends 13 and a holder 12 adapted to hold a stack of disk blanks 14. The disk blanks 14 are successively delivered from the holder 12 into one of a plurality of circumferentially disposed vertical openings 15 in the turret or carrier 5 and onto a circumferentially disposed seat or shoulder 16 within the said opening for receiving and supporting the said disk blanks, by a suitable feed mechanism (not shown), the said blanks'beret or carrier 5 by a feed means (not shown), and the said can end as fed onto the said table or platform 2 moves within one of a series of lateral guide cut-outs 13' formed in the under face of the turret or carrier 5 and which communicates respectively with the circumferentially disposed vertical openings 15 thereof, so that the peripheral wall of the flange of the can end 13 will be embraced thereby and held against displacement.

Supported above the turret or carrier 5 by any suitable means and over the path of travel of the openings 15 therein is a vertically reciprocating cross head 22 operated preferably by such means as those shown in Patent 1,162,234. This cross head carries at its lower end a ring die punch 23, which is surrounded by a spring held stripper ring 23". The said die punch 23 is of a diameter equal to the interior diameter of the ring liner to be cut from a disk blank 14, and the said punch is in vertical alinement with a ring die 24 secured to a hollow vertically reciprocating cross head 24 movably supported beneath the turret or carrier 5, and

operated by any suitable means that will cause the upper and lower die members 23 and 24 to approach and recede in relation with each other preferably simultaneously. The said reciprocating members as moved together pass from opposite faces into and partially through one of the positioned openings 15 of the rotatable turret or car-' rier member 5, the said opening of the carrier member at such time being in vertical alinement with the reciprocating die members 23 and 24, during which movement of the said members the rotatable turret or carrier member 5 is held stationary. At this time or step in the operation of the machine there has been positioned within the said opening 15 of the horizontally rotatable turret or carrier member 5, a disk blank 14, the same being supported therein by the circumferentially disposed shoulder or shelf 16. This disk blank is held to its seat by the face of the reduced section 23 of the stripper ring 23, which first enters the positioned opening 15 of the rotatable turret or carrier member 5 and bears against the upper surface of the positioned disk blank 14, the die ring 24 at which time reaches the completion of its inward stroke and thus clamps the said disk blank circumferentially between the faces of the stripper ring 23 and the said die ring 24. The die ring punch 23 then continuing itsdownward stroke for a short distance, due to the yield of the springs 23 of the stripper ring 23, cuts from the held disk 14 a central core piece a leaving a ring liner 5 of proper size held between the face of the lower reduced end of the stripper ring 23' and the upper face of the ring die 24, the said movement of the die punch 23 carrying the cut core piece a into the enlarged portion C of the ring die 24, from which it falls by gravity into the hollow open cross head 24 being deflected therefrom by meansvof inclined guide rods. (not shown) to a spitable place of deposit. On the return or separating stroke of the die punch 23 and the die ring 24, the stripper ring 23 serves to remove or strip the cut ring liner 5 from the. punch 23 and leaves the same deposited on the circumferential shoulder or shelf 16 of the opening 15 of the horizontally rotatable turret or carrier member 5. To prevent the cut fibrous central core,piece aof the disk blank 14 from adhering to the face of the die punch 23, there is provided in said punch one or more air ducts 26' which said ducts are open to the atmosphere and admit air to break or destroy on the return stroke of the said die punch such air suction or vacuum as may have formed and by so doing causing the ut core piece a to fall .from the punch 23 into the hollow cross head 24.

On the die punch 23 with its stripper ring 23' and the ring die 24 moving out of the opening 15, a plurality of step movements are or may be imparted to the horizontally rotatable turret or carrier member 5 to place liner 12 therein in vertical alinement with reciprocating assembling means for placing the cut ring liner 5 onto the flange 03 of a can end or cover plate 13. These-step or intermittent rotations of the said turret or carrier member are accomplished by the part rotation imparted to the vertical shaft 4 through the medium of any suitable means such as those shown and described in said patent. The step rotations so imparted to the turret of carrier member 5 are such as to place the opening 15 with the cut ring liner therein in alinement with a vertical opening 27 in the stationary table 2 and in alinement with the vertically reciprocating assembling and marking means for placing the cut ring liner 5 onto the flange d of a positioned can end 13 and marking or stamping the same In the present case, the assembling and marking means comprise vertically opposed reciprocating plungers 28 and 28 which plungers are movable into and out of the opening 15 of the horizontally rotatable turret or carrier member 5 containing the ring liners b to be applied. The plunger 28 on its downward stroke forces the cut ring liner 5 from its shouldered seat 16 of the opening 15 onto the flange d of the positioned can end 13 (Fig. 3), the stem 29 of such plunger working through a guide 29. The companion plunger 28' lifts the can end 13 from its seat into the opening 15 and holds the same near or against the shelf 16 while the cut ring liner 5 is being forced onto the flange d thereof, the stem 28 of the plunger 28 seating within a socketed connecting member 28 which works within a vertically disposed guide sleeve (not shown). Within the socketed connecting member 28 is seated a compression spring 34 for exerting a cushioned action between the stem 28 and the 'socketed connecting member 28 and which normally holds the plunger 28' outwardly pressed. The said member 28 is connected with a stud 34: which projects from the upper end of a lift or actuating rod (not shown), which is vertically reciprocated in unison with the upper plunger 28 in any suitable manner.

In order that the can end 13 may be marked or stamped preferably substantially simultaneously with the application of the ring liner 6 and that the ring liner handling mechanism may be utilized for this purpose, there is provided in the under face of the upper plunger member 28 a preferably circular recess 21 in which is suitably secured a die holder 25 in which in turn is suitably secured a male die member 30. In the upper face of the lower plunger member 28 is a recess 31 in which is secured in proper alinement with the upper male die member a female die member 32.

The plunger 28 works through a vertical opening 27 in the fixed table 2 and on its upward movement or stroke lifts the positioned can end 13 into the alined vertical opening 15 of the horizontal rotatable turret or carrier member 5 until it reaches a position therein immediately beneath the supporting shoulder, shelf or ledge 16 on which .rests the positioned cut ring liner 6. During the upward movement of the plunger 28, the opposing plunger 28 is descending so that by :the time the can end 13 has been lifted into proper position within the opening 15 of the carrier member 5, the plunger 28 is acting on the cut ring liner 6 to force the same from its circular seat 16 onto the flange d of the can end13. Substantially at the moment that the ring liner 1) is snapped over the curled portion of the can end flange and is seated within the same the upper die member 30 engages the central depressed body portion of the can end and in cooperation with the lower die member 32 embosses or otherwise marks the same.

As soon as the can end is marked and applied with a ring liner or other packing medium, the opposed plungers 28 and 28' recede from within the opening 15 in the carrier 5 and the latter is again rotated carrying as it does so the marked and lined can end to a delivery station where the same are discharged through an opening 37 in the table 2 onto an endless conveyer 37 which conveys the same to a suitable place of de posit.

apply the ring The plunger 28 is or may be provided with an exterior or peripheral ring like part 38 which is yieldingly supported so as to be normally substantially flush with the top surface of the lower die (Figs. 2 and 4) so that the can end, notwithstanding its shoulders and recessed central part, will readily slide onto and off from the plunger. When the plunger-s 28 and 28' come together to apply the ring liner and emboss the can end the ring liner is first applied and further pressure of the plunger causes the peripheral depending ring of the upper plunger to depress the ring 38, at the same time compressing its yielding supporting springs 39. This depression brings the central part of the can end against the lower die and the two dies then perform the marking or embossing (Fig. 3). When so depressed the ring 38 is received in a peripheral recess 40 of the lower plunger, it being guided by bolts or screws ll which pass upthrough apertures in the lower plunger and are screwed into the under side of the ring 38. As the plungers separate the ring 38 is returned by its springs 39 to its normal flush position, where .it is arrested by'the heads of the screws 41. u I

It will be understood that the spring 34 is strong enough to cause the marking devices to perform such marking or emboss ment as is required. Also that the said dies may be reversed in position, with the male die below the can end; also that the die holders and dies are removable and replaceable to vary the mark to be embossed on the can end, as may be desired.

Also, that it is not necessary that the marking be done at the same station where the ring liner is applied, but can be done at a marking station, separate from the lining station; this would still bring about simultaneous lining and marking only that one can end would be lined simultaneously with another being marked, instead of the same can end being lined and markedsimultaneously. That is to say, the invention is not confined to applying the ring liner and performing the marking at the same station.

What is claimed is:

1. In a ring liner applying and can end marking machine, the combination of the ring liner applying devices, and can end marking means attached to and operable with the said devices for the simultaneous seating of the ring liners and marking of the can ends, the ring liner applying devices being yieldingly mounted relative to the can end marking means.

2. In a machine for cutting and applying ring liners to shouldered sanitary can ends and for embossing the said can ends, the combination of the ring liner cutting means, the ring liner applying devices movable to mers so cut around the shoulders of the can ends, mechanism for operating the said cutting means and the applying devices, and embossing dies arranged to operate on the can ends within their shoulders, said dies being situated within the parts of the ring liner applying devices which operate on the ring liners, and being actuated by the said mechanism, the ring liner applying devices bein yield- (iingly mounted relative to the em ossing 3. An organized apparatus for the cuttin and applying of ring liners to the flange 0 can ends and marking the can ends, the same comprising a movable carrier member provided with a series of seats, means for supplying liner disk blanks to the said seats, opposing plungers situated within the path of movement of said seats, said plungers adapted to cut a core from said liner disk blank and-leave a ring liner on said seat, means for supplying can ends to a point beneath thepath of the said seats, and ring liner applying and can end marking means situated in the path of the said seats and cut ring liners, said means comprising upper and lower plunger members, and a marking member secured to the face of one of said plungers said plungers being adapted to substantially simultaneously remove said ring liner from its said seat 'to the can end flange and operate said marking member to mark the can end, the ring liner applying means being yieldingly mounted relative to the can end marking means.

.4. The combination with a member having a perforation and a shoulder within the same, of a bottom plunger for lifting a can end to said shoulder, a top plunger having a flange for pressing a ring liner down past said shoulder and into the can end, and marking means on said plungers operating through the said aperture and through the central aperture of the ring liner and by the ring liner-inserting movement of the plungers, the-marking means of the can end supporting plunger being movable relative to the can end supporting. part of said plunger. a

5. The combination of a laterally movable member having a erforation and a shoulder therein, a fixe member having an aperture, means for sliding a shouldered can end, with its concave side downward, along the surface of said fixed part and in line with said perforation and shoulder, a plunger operating through the aperture in said fixed part, marking means carried by said plunger and retractpart below said able to the plane of said surface, and an opposing plunger operating on the convex side of the can end.

6. The combination of a plunger for engaging a can end on itsv dished side and formed'with separately movable and oper able outer and inner parts, the outer part adapted to operate -for the seating of a ring liner and the inner part having a marking die; and opposing pressure means having an annular flange adapted to seat a ring liner on the flange of the can end and having a die adapted to cobperate with the first mentioned die.

7. The combination of a plunger for engaging a can end on 'its dished side and formed with separately movable and operable outer and inner parts, the outer part adapted to operate for the seating of a ring liner and the inner part having a marking die; and an opposing pressure plunger having an annular flange adapted to seat'a ring liner on the flange of the can end and having a die adapted to cobperate with the first mentioned die.

8. The combination of a plunger for engaging a can end on its dished side and formed with separately movable and oper able outer and inner parts, the outer part adapted to operate for the seating of a'ring liner and the inner part having a marking die, springs interposed between said parts;

movement of the plunger for the seating of a ring liner and the inner part having a marking die and operating at another part of the'movement of the plunger; and o posing pressure means having an .annular flange adapted to seat a ring liner on the flange of thecan end and having a die adapted to cooperate with the first mentioned die.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures hereto.

WILLIAM STABLER. E. E. CALDWELL.

Witnesses! T. B. SPILLER, SIMON L. FILBER. 

